Photo: John Wang
Photo of a contemporary partial sun backyard landscaping in San Francisco with a fire pit.

This project features a true, classic sunroom in the earliest tradition of the New England concept. Utilizing large, top quality, energy efficient windows with a solid mahogany wood frame roof, we provided the client with a contemporary look and feel. Taking advantage of the lovely view to the rear of their home, the clients wanted to bring that outdoor feeling indoors. The roof was glazed with insulated glass units which utilized soft coat Low E and Argon gas for solid performance in any weather. The room is also fully conditioned so that it remains functional in any of New England’s diverse seasons. Another important facet of the project was the need to provide direct access to the new sunroom from the existing kitchen. This would allow the vista to be clearly visible while in the kitchen or in the sunroom. We used a gable-style or “pitched glass” roof so as to introduce additional height in the center of the space. This allowed for the best possible view of the exterior from the kitchen while blending with the existing house architecture. This classic New England sunroom gets it done in all the ways that matter.

This side tropical walkway continues from the front of the home to lead to the back with wide open beach views. Utilizing Calypso coral flagstones with dark beach pebbles and limestone boulders, it is framed with tropical beds of palms, crotons, a pitch apple hedge and other ground covers.

An elevated exterior view of the home’s front elevation, showcasing warm evening lighting, smooth stucco finishes, black framed windows, low-pitched tile rooflines, desert landscaping, and distant mountain views.

The exterior of our new construction build proudly showcases the defining elements of Contemporary Craftsman homes. A few features commonly found on the outside reflective of the style include: Multiple Low-Pitch Gable Roofs in Triangular Shape Overhanging Eaves with Exposed Rafters and Beams Custom Woodworking along Covered Front Porch’s Columns and Exterior Exposed Natural Wood Elements along the Covered Breezeway connecting the house to the garage Drawing inspiration from the arts and crafts era of homes, the exterior of our home features many artisan, natural wooden details that define craftsman homes. A covered breezeway serves as a seamless connection between the main house’s front porch and the garage. Beyond its functional purpose, this architectural element adds a touch of grace, ensuring a cohesive and stylish transition between spaces.

Mid-sized craftsman gray two-story wood gable roof idea in Seattle with a shingle roof

Sleep among the trees in this stunning loft bedroom at our Wayah Cove project in Franklin, NC. The architecture embraces the dramatic, steeply pitched roofline by dedicating the entire gable end to a massive, custom-angled window wall. This design choice transforms the vibrant, lush forest canopy into a living piece of art. Twin low-profile beds, dressed in warm terracotta bedding, are perfectly tucked into the eaves, maximizing space while creating a serene, minimalist retreat that blurs the line between indoor comfort and the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment. The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home. Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition. The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions. The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns. Overview: Elm Grove Size: 2,800 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Completion Date: September 2014 Services: Architecture, Landscape Architecture Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design

Mountain style porch idea in Austin

A front elevation view of a modern desert custom home with smooth stucco finishes, black framed windows, low-pitched hipped tile roofing, desert landscaping, and a raised entry courtyard designed to enhance Arizona curb appeal.

Aaron Kraft / Krafty Photos
Example of a mid-sized trendy brown one-story wood house exterior design with a metal roof

Modern black one-story metal house exterior idea in San Francisco with a hip roof and a metal roof

Master bedroom with vaulted ceiling and seating area.
Example of a country master carpeted bedroom design in Los Angeles

Paul Jonason
Example of a tuscan exterior home design in Los Angeles

Perimeter: Full Access, Augusta A, Paint Grade, Black of Night by Sherwin-Williams Island: Full Access, Augusta A, Paint Grade, Cityscape
Inspiration for a transitional l-shaped kitchen remodel in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, an island and white countertops

The definitive idea behind this project was to create a modest country house that was traditional in outward appearance yet minimalist from within. The harmonious scale, thick wall massing and the attention to architectural detail are reminiscent of the enduring quality and beauty of European homes built long ago. It features a custom-built Spanish Colonial- inspired house that is characterized by an L-plan, low-pitched mission clay tile roofs, exposed wood rafter tails, broad expanses of thick white-washed stucco walls with recessed-in French patio doors and casement windows; and surrounded by native California oaks, boxwood hedges, French lavender, Mexican bush sage, and rosemary that are often found in Mediterranean landscapes. An emphasis was placed on visually experiencing the weight of the exposed ceiling timbers and the thick wall massing between the light, airy spaces. A simple and elegant material palette, which consists of white plastered walls, timber beams, wide plank white oak floors, and pale travertine used for wash basins and bath tile flooring, was chosen to articulate the fine balance between clean, simple lines and Old World touches.

As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards For years, Jeff and Ellen Miller spent their vacations sailing in Northern Michigan—so they had plenty of time to check out which small harbor town they might like to retire to someday. When that time arrived several years ago, they looked at properties up and down the coast and along inland lakes. When they discovered a sweet piece on the outskirts of Boyne City that included waterfront and a buildable lot, with a garage on it, across the street, they knew they’d found home. The couple figured they could find plans for their dream lake cottage online. After all, they weren’t looking to build anything grandiose. Just a small-to-medium sized contemporary Craftsman. But after an unfruitful online search they gave up, frustrated. Every plan they found had the back of the house facing the water—they needed a blueprint for a home that fronted on the water. The Millers first met the woman, Stephanie Baldwin, Owner & President of Edgewater Design Group, who solved that issue and a number of others on the 2015 Northern Home & Cottage Petoskey Area Home Tour. Baldwin’s home that year was a smart, 2000-square cottage on Crooked Lake with simple lines and a Craftsman sensibility. That home proved to the couple that Edgewater Design Group is as proficient at small homes as the larger ones they are often known for. Edgewater Design Group did indeed come up with the perfect plan for the Millers. At 2400 square feet, the simple Craftsman with its 3 bedrooms, vaulted ceiling in the great room and upstairs deck is everything the Millers wanted—including the fact that construction stayed within their budget. An extra courtesy of working with the talented design team is a screened in porch facing the lake (“She told us, of course you have to have a screened in porch,” Ellen says. “And we love it!’) Edgewater’s other touches are more subtle. The Millers wanted to keep the garage, but the home needed to be sited on a small knoll some feet away in order to capture the views of Lake Charlevoix across the street. The solution is a covered walkway and steps that are so artful they enhance the home. Another favor Baldwin did for them was to connect them with Legacy Construction, a firm known for its craftsmanship and attention to detail. The Miller home, outfitted with touches including custom molding, cherry cabinetry, a stunning custom range hood, built in shelving and custom vanities. A warm hickory floor and lovely earth-toned Craftsman-style color palette pull it all together, while a fireplace mantel hewn from a tree taken on the property rounds out this gracious lake cottage.

Photographed by Giovanni Photography
Transitional two-story stucco exterior home photo in Miami

Dan Farmer of Seattle Home Tours
Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman gray two-story mixed siding gable roof remodel in Seattle with a shingle roof